Bowing Down Home Oral History Transcripts

File: chaissonkenny-oh-baptists_M.mp3

Speakers:

KC – Kenny Chaisson

LC – Lemmy Chaisson

LC If you go east of Souris, then there were – It would be the worst place you could ever play, because it took them all night to get up. And, they were great listeners, but they wouldn't

File: oconnorfrank-oh-musicinhome_M.mp3

Speakers:

FO – Frank O'Connor

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

F0: A family of ten and everybody played. In the hard times in the 30s, we had about one mouth organ, an old organ that was pretty weazey, one fiddle my dad played and he

File: macdonaldhilda-oh-jimmysimmons_M.mp3

Speakers:

HM – Hilda MacPhee MacDonald

GM – George MacPhee (Hilda's nephew)

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

HM: Oh Jimmy Simmons, he was the best fiddler that ever was heard of I suppose, anywheres around. Yeah. Oh my God he was great

File: cheveriecharles-oh-alchohol_violence_M.mp3

Speakers:

CC – Fr. Charlie Cheverie

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

CC: On the Island in particular, in the Prohibition days in particular, a lot of the drinking was done – First of all, drinking was done; people drank. But it

File: arsenaultlouise-oh-twists.wav

LA: So I mean, every fiddler is different, that's for sure, there's not one fiddler that plays the same as you. I would listen to Eddy Arsenault play and I would learn that tune, but I would play it a different way. And then all of a sudden I

File: macinnislargus-oh-quadrillecalls_M.mp3

Speakers:

LM – Largus MacInnis

KP – Ken Perlman

LM Quadrilles, you started in by salutin' your partner and then you go eight hands 'round. And then the two head couples would go right and left. And the ladies would change [chain]

File: richardfred06-oh-politics_M.mp3

Speakers:

FR – Fred Richard

FR: If you went to a meeting of politics. I'd play maybe a couple of tunes there and you'd get the old politicians, or the strong Liberals or the strong Conservatives would be gettin' up and givin' a step, and everybody

File: maccannellneil-oh-stepdancing_M.mp3

Speakers:

NM – Neil MacCannell

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

NM They'd be requested to step dance; usually there was two or three step dancers among the group.

KP I was told they each had their favorite tunes, is that

File: pitredennis-oh-stepdancing_M.mp3

Speakers:

DP – Dennis Pitre

VD – Vincent Doucette

VD: In the olden days, too, well we're not that old (laughs), but I remember if you were at the harbour on Saturday afternoon after everybody was all done fishing and stuff

File: doironpeter-oh-stepdancing_M.mp3

Speakers:

PD – Peter Doiron

KP – Ken Perlman

PD Our house if you can imagine it, is a very small hut, or bungalow I suppose you'd call it, -- a very small place but it would literally be filled with people from the village or

File: hubleylibby-oh-stepdancingolddays_M.mp3

Speakers:

LH – Libby Hubley

LH: I think when the men danced, it was only those who had that love and great feel for the music, the music just moved them to do those different little patterns with their feet. And the patterns

File: pitredennis06-oh-stepdancing_M.mp3

Speakers:

DP – Dennis Pitre

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

KP: You were saying that the tempos, the speed that the people wanted the music for step dancing was a little bit slower then?

DP: Not too fast, they'd always tell you

File: macdonaldjoe-oh-parishpicnics_M.mp3

Speakers:

JM – Joe MacDonald

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

JM: They were pretty busy in the summer time. There wouldn't be too much - There wouldn't be house parties but there'd be outside things like picnics in the summertime

KP

File: pitredennis06-oh-changes_M.mp3

Speakers:

DP – Dennis Pitre

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

DP: There's no change much since 15 years ago. Everything is the same. We play in the Hall Saturday Night, for the Saturday Night Dance. And we play pretty well once a week for the senior

File: wedgeclifford-oh-songorigins_M.mp3

File:

Speaker:

CW – Clifford Wedge

KP – Curator Ken Perlman

CW: My Dad and so many other people would go to the woods in the wintertime. And they'd always bring songs home.

KP: From the wood!